Unfortunate Orchid Names: 2nd Edition

There were a lot of amused comments from readers on my blog post 10 Unfortunate Orchid Names, so I decided that a second edition was in order. Orchids have all sorts of crazy names and so many of them take my mind straight back to the gutter…I just can’t help it! For your perverse pleasure, here is a list of 20 more unfortunate orchid names…

1. The word ‘orchid‘ itself comes from the Greek word ‘orchis’, which means testicle. If you take a look at the roots on the genus Orchis, it’s crystal clear where the name came from:

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

2. Bulbophyllum vaginatum

Photo credit: wikimedia.org

3. Paphiopedilum supersuk

Photo Credit: Eric in SF, Flickr

5. Phalaenopsis Super Stupid — clearly, someone was having a bad day when they named this one.

Hey there! I’m Sarah and I’m an orchid geek. I fell in love with these amazing plants years ago and started this blog in order to learn more. I enjoy sharing my orchid knowledge and learning as I write. A little more about me.